The truth about packing medication for longterm travel is that you really don’t need much. We take two small travel pouches that contain our longterm travel medical kit and medication for travel.
Unless you are planning to be miles from civilisation for days on end (we were miles away for quite a few days in the hills of Kyrgyzstan) you don’t need to go crazy with the packing. There are pharmacies in towns and cities all over the world that will stock what you need.
Rather, it’s easier to carry the essentials (like loperamide – trust me) and stock up whenever you run out.
How do you know what to pack in your travel medical kit?
A packing list for longterm travel with kids is only slightly different. (We always figure we will survive with less fuss with a headache or food poisoning, but it’s not quite as relaxing being in an unfamiliar country with a sick child).
And, because of the age of our kids (the boys were 3 and 5 when we left New Zealand the first time) they aren’t able to swallow tablets which are far less bulky to carry. But there are options for kid-friendly medicines that don’t take up too much space.
- Looking for a longterm travel packing list? See our list for Packing for Family Travel.
*Ps. Definitely note that I am not a medical professional. I can’t give advice on specifics that YOU might need…
Here is what WE took in our longterm travel medical kit and what worked well for us.
Painkillers/ Analgesics – Travel Medical Kit
- Paracetamol tablets (adult)
- Ibuprofen tablets (adult)
- Liquid paracetamol (child) 100ml
There is nothing worse than being somewhere new and exciting with grand plans to get out and explore while dealing with an agonising headache.
Painkillers are easy to purchase anywhere in the world (at large airports, pharmacies, supermarkets etc) so don’t worry about carrying too many.
Especially in Asia, be sure to check ahead for restrictions by country on certain ingredients in painkillers that may not be permitted.
Antibiotics
- 1x broad spectrum penicillin antibiotic (adult – tablets)
- 1x course broad spectrum antibiotic (child – powder form)
- 1x Doxycycline tetracycline antibiotic (adult – tablets)
- Topical antibiotic ointment (not an ideal solution as can build resilience. We carried this but did not use it).
Antibiotics for kids are one of the things that takes up most space in an otherwise fairly light medical kit.
Because our children are young and can’t yet swallow tablets it’s easier to carry powder antibiotics that can be made up with drinking water when required.
(I confess we did resort to halving one Loperamide tablet in desperation somewhere in a yurt in Uzbekistan for our 5 year old when diahhroea threatened a second day without easing). And he was able to swallow it.
However, it’s much easier to give liquid medicines to young children and your doctor can prescribe antibiotics that will suit your child best.
Anti-inflammatories
- Loperamide anti-diarrhoeal tablets (essential!)
- Antihistamine tablets (adult)
- Chewable antihistamine tablets (child)
Creams and Ointments – Travel Medical Kit
- Betadine Antiseptic Ointment 25g
- Crystaderm First Aid Cream (Hydrogen Peroxide 1%) 10g
- Pimafucourt topical corticosteroid cream 15g
- Savlon/Total Antiseptic Cream 40g
- Antifungal Cream 15g
- Lucas Pawpaw Ointment 25g (especially good for sunburnt lips)
A small tube of antiseptic cream can work wonders to prevent infection. You definitely don’t want to get an infection while travelling. And especially in warmer, tropical climates small grazes can easily become infected.
Other
- Digital thermometer (my Mum insisted we take one and bought this for us at Auckland Airport!)
- 5ml plastic syringe for measuring liquid paracetamol for the kids
- Bandaids/sticking plasters, gauze and knee-grazing-size wound covers (good strong bandaids are essential, though you can buy budget ones anywhere)
- Female sanitary supplies
- Electrolyte rehydration powdered solution to help treat vomiting and diarrhoea (6x sachets to make 200ml each)
- Tweezers
- Scissors
- 2x safety pins, clean needle and thread (this was primarily for sewing but was a lifesaver for prickles in Fiji).
Documents to carry
- Copies of your passport and travel documents
- Copies of any prescriptions (medical supplies, prescription medications, glasses etc)
- Health/travel insurance details and contact
- Proof of vaccinations (polio, yellow fever, Covid-19)
Small First Aid / Travel Medical Kit
- Emergency First Aid Kit. Depending on how thorough your travel medical kit and packing list is, it can be advantageous to take a small emergency kit.
This should include items like bandaids, a bandage and anything you might need in a minor emergency.
Don’t double up if you are already carrying these things. Consider how best to pack and carry these items. It can be handy in a pre-packaged kit like this to grab and stash in your daypack for day trips and outings.
Tips for packing your Travel Medical Kit
- It is also important to note in many countries in Asia (Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Thailand, Japan and many more) codeine is banned and highly illegal.
- It’s important to know the contents of any medications you are carrying, regardless of whether they are prescription or not. Check restrictions of each country before travelling.
- Prior to departing, I visited our GP in New Zealand to discuss the contents for our medical kit and to get prescriptions for antibiotics and topical creams that we carried.
- Buying and refilling your medical supplies at international airports and duty free is a good idea to keep up to date and be reminded of any restricted items.
*Update: I wouldn’t change anything we took in our travel medical kit. However, I do feel extremely fortunate we didn’t need use of the antibiotics. We did use the liquid paracetamol on multiple occasions for the kids, as well as topical antiseptic creams.
Speaking of travel-planning…
These are the companies we use while traveling fulltime as a family and that we would recommend to anyone planning and booking travel.
- Booking.com – The best all-around accommodation booking site that constantly provides the cheapest and lowest rates. They have the widest selection of budget accommodation and it’s easy to filter and sort into price and availability with all the extras you are looking for personally.
- Hostelworld – The largest inventory of hostel accommodation in the world.
- Skyscanner – This is by far our favourite flight search engine. They are able to search small websites and budget airlines that larger search sites often miss. We book all our flights through Skyscanner.
- GetYourGuide – Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace for tours and excursions offered all around the world including everything from walking tours, to street-food tours, cooking classes, desert safari’s and more!
- World Nomads – Travel insurance tailored for longterm travel and nomads (including those who have already left home).